


Buch der Liebe

by AnaliseGrey



Series: Along the Way [17]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: M/M, a tale in three parts, but I know who you're here for, mention of other characters, seriously- consult your dentist, unremitting fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 18:14:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,111
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24331183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaliseGrey/pseuds/AnaliseGrey
Summary: It was always leading here, to these moments, to this place.
Relationships: Mollymauk Tealeaf/Caleb Widogast
Series: Along the Way [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1139501
Comments: 32
Kudos: 137





	1. Chapter 1

Caleb hasn’t been to bed yet.

This isn’t new; he often stays up late reading, especially when, as is the case today, he gets his hands on a new book. It’s nothing important in the grand scheme of things, but it _is_ special. Molly and Jester find it at a stall in the marketplace of the small town they’re stopped in, and they know enough to recognize Zemnian when they see it. They buy it immediately, bringing it back to Caleb; it’s a lovely book, obviously well-loved, but still cared-for. There are lush illustrations inside, detailing the adventures of the heroic, if occasionally silly, characters. It’s a children’s storybook, and Molly looks disappointed when Caleb tells him so.

“It’s alright, _schatz_.” Caleb pulls Molly in for a kiss, smiling. “Not every book has to be full of powerful magic for me to enjoy it. It was very thoughtful of you and Jester to get this for me. I’m sure I’ll like.”

That night, Caleb calls forth his Mansion for them; after dinner everyone else settles in for the evening, but Caleb opts to stay in the library so as not to disturb Molly with his lights. It looks how he’s always imagined the perfect home library to look- packed wall-to-wall with shelves which are all full of books of every sort. There’s an array of comfortable overstuffed couches and chairs in front of a cozy fireplace, and it’s on one of these couches Caleb is currently curled with his new book, Frumpkin draped over his shoulders purring in the warmth of the fire.

He’s about halfway through when a noise catches his attention; when he glances up he smiles to see Molly.

“Hello, _liebling_. Can’t sleep?”

Molly, for his part, doesn’t look anywhere near as awake as Caleb feels, and Caleb can’t help the burble of warmth that floats up in his chest when Molly shuffles over to the couch and flops onto it, resting his head on Caleb’s lap. Caleb immediately drops a hand to Molly’s hair, combing through the wine-dark curls to brush them into some semblance of order. Molly hums under the attention, eyes sliding closed again and tail falling limp along the couch. Caleb thinks he’s fallen asleep again and is about to turn his attention back to his book when Molly speaks quietly.

“Read to me?”

Caleb knows Molly sometimes suffers nightmares- they all do, on occasion, from a wide range of experiences- and that one of the best ways they’ve found to calm him, to help him remember where he is and who he’s with is for Caleb to read to him. Caleb’s happy to do so; anything that helps Molly is something that he’s more than willing to do, and reading has never been a hardship for him.

“Of course, _schatz_ , I’d be happy to.”

Caleb takes his hand back momentarily to flip to the front of the book, and Molly rubs his face against Caleb’s thigh before settling again. “Thank you, love.”

Caleb presses a kiss to his fingertips, then presses them to Molly’s lips. “Of course, _liebling_. Think nothing of it.”

Molly kisses Caleb’s fingers, then snuggles further down into the couch with a sigh, and Caleb starts reading aloud.

“Once upon a time, there was a brother and sister, the children of a woodcutter, who lived in a cottage in the woods-”

He makes it through a few of the stories, and when he finishes the fourth, about a princess, a spinning wheel, and a vengeful fairy, he looks down to see Molly sleeping, eyelashes dark against his cheeks, and Caleb doesn’t know how his body manages to contain the way Molly makes him feel. He runs his fingers through Molly’s hair again, and Molly stirs with a sleepy noise, looking blearily up at Caleb. 

“This is no place to sleep for the night, _liebling_. Come to bed?”

Molly grumbles but pushes himself upright, stretching once he’s on his feet. Caleb sets his book aside on the table next to the couch, and slides an arm around Molly’s waist, pulling him in for a hug before drawing him along toward the door. Molly goes easily, tail coming up to wind around Caleb’s waist in turn with a gentle squeeze.

“Love you, Caleb,” Molly mumbles into his shoulder, still half asleep, and the burst of warmth in Caleb’s chest at the words is near-overwhelming.

“Love you too, _schatz_.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song they dance to (and that Molly sings along with) is [Gold, as performed by the Original Broadway Cast of Once](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1tN-jlDWNA).

“Do you smell that?”

Veth’s question, paired with the faint scent of smoke pulls Caleb's attention from where he’s nose-deep in a book.

It’s a lovely summer day, and they’ve been traveling slow and steady, knowing they’ll hit the next town by nightfall. Taking a more pointed sniff of the air, Caleb can in fact smell smoke, getting stronger as they travel, and his heart begins to hammer in his chest. It’s late afternoon, the sun slanting across the nearby fields, and they’re approaching a curve that goes around the side of a small rise. A quick mental calculation tells him the village they’re aiming for should be very close, and he tucks his book away, preparing for trouble. The others are doing the same, sitting up straighter in the cart, or, in Molly’s case, sitting up from where he’s been lazing with his head on Caleb’s lap. They’re all tense as the cart approaches the curve in the road, Fjord’s quiet, ‘ _Be ready._ ’ having them all on edge, but when they come around the curve, it’s to find something unexpected.

“Oh!”

Jester’s exclamation of surprise is echoed in everyone’s expression, including his own, Caleb would wager, and he lets his shoulders relax, taking his hand from his component pouch. The rest of the party relaxes as well as they continue toward the outer edge of the town. There’s a fence that skirts the village, with brightly-colored fabric streamers fluttering in the light breeze where they’re tied around posts and staves. The scent of smoke is joined by other smells now- roasting meats, baking bread, sweets and fruit- and Jester’s expression turns gleeful.

“It’s a _party_!”

They draw closer, the sounds of merriment getting louder and more distinct. Voices carry in laughter, fond shouts from the town center, along with random bouts of cheering, and it’s a nice change from how they sometimes find villages in their path.

The village center is a whirl with activity when they reach it, people bustling all over in seemingly random yet well-choreographed chaos, and Caleb finds himself smiling almost despite himself. He remembers events like this back in Blumenthal, where the whole town would come together to celebrate something; everyone was invited and pitched in. Some of his earliest and fondest memories are of village-wide parties like this.

They pull the cart up alongside the small inn they spot, and clamber down to stretch while Fjord heads inside with Beau to see about rooms.

Next to him, Molly bounces on his toes while straightening and dusting off his coat, tail flicking happily behind him. “Well, isn’t this delightful. I’ve been in need of a good party. Do you think they’ll let us join in?”

“Perhaps. I suppose we will need to wait and see. We don’t know the purpose of the celebration or the temperament of the people.” Molly’s shoulders start to droop and Caleb smiles, reaching out to give Molly’s arm a squeeze. “But hopefully we will get to share in their joy tonight.”

Molly grins, waggling his eyebrows at Caleb. “Hopefully that’s not the _only_ thing we get to share in tonight.”

Caleb huffs a laugh, but doesn’t have time to retort before Fjord and Beau are returning from within the inn.

“We got rooms,” Beau calls, reaching up into the cart to grab her bag. “There’s a wedding going on in a few hours. The innkeeper said we’re invited to the party afterward. Whole town is a part of it, and they didn’t see why a few extra people would matter much, so long as we don’t cause trouble.”

There are whoops of joy from the group, Jester and Molly high-fiving each other, Veth breaking out in a grin. Caleb watches his companions gather their things, grabs his own, and can’t help but be glad at how the afternoon is turning out. Things have been nice lately, but it’s always good to share in the celebration of something so positive. They don’t get to do that nearly enough.

“Hey.” Molly sidles up to him and bumps his shoulder to catch his attention. “Beau gave me the key to our room. Want to clean up and rest a bit before the festivities later?”

“ _Ja_ , that sounds good.”

The rest of the afternoon passes lazily, the both of them washing up and changing clothes so they’re no longer covered in the dust and grime of the road. Molly dozes, his head once again resting on Caleb’s lap so that Caleb can easily run his fingers through Molly’s hair as he reads. It’s peaceful, and very nice, and Caleb doesn’t think he’d have any sort of trouble spending all his days in so wonderful a manner.

The quiet of the late afternoon gets broken as the sun begins to set; the wedding ceremony must have concluded wherever it was taking place, because it’s obvious a crowd is beginning to gather outside in the square. Molly is just beginning to stir when there’s a knock on the door and Caduceus’s voice rumbles through.

“Looks like things are getting started out there. We’re all heading out. Join us when you like.”

“We’ll be out shortly, Caduceus.”

Once the footsteps out in the hallway recede, Caleb looks down to see Molly gazing up at him fondly, if still sleepily, and smiles.

“ _Hallo, schatz_.”

“Hey.” Molly rolls to his stomach and stretches, tail straightening out with a shiver as he does, and Caleb’s smile grows; sometimes he thinks Molly is just as much a cat as Frumpkin is.

“Things getting going outside?”

“It would seem so, yes. Caduceus said they’re all heading down.”

Molly hums, pressing his face into Caleb’s thigh, and Caleb thinks for a moment that Molly is going to doze off again, before Molly presses a kiss to Caleb’s leg and pushes himself up to sitting.

“Well, I’m not one to forgo a party for any reason, especially one I’ve actually been invited to.” He reaches a hand out to Caleb and pulls him to standing when Caleb takes it. “Onward!”

The celebration is already in full-swing by the time they join a few minutes later. There’s people everywhere, laughing, talking, eating and drinking. The tables on the far side of the square, once empty, are now laden to groaning with food; more tables to the side are covered in bottles and small kegs, and Molly’s smile grows. They’re quickly swept up in the maelstrom of activity, touching base with the few of their friends they spot in the crowd. The whole time, Molly’s hand stays clasped firmly around Caleb’s, squeezing every once in awhile, and Caleb wonders if Molly’s aware he’s doing it.

A little while later finds them sat at one of the many picnic tables set up around the square, eating from a shared plate and leaning against each other as they watch everyone around them. Torches set around the perimeter of the clearing are lit, casting a warm glow; the mood hasn’t calmed at all since the party started, and has seemed, in fact, to climb, though that may have more to do with the abundance of drink and general cheer than anything else. Caleb’s calm, head resting on Molly’s shoulder, peaceful despite the noise and activity around him, when he feels Molly perk up, his tail twitching where it's wound around Caleb’s ankle.

“I know this one!”

“Hmm?”

Lifting his head, Caleb follows Molly’s gaze to the raised platform nearby where a group of musicians is playing. The music faded to the background of Caleb’s awareness some time ago, but now it comes to the forefront, and he can see the crowd splitting off into pairs as the music slows and softens.

“I know this song.” Molly’s smiling, not quite a grin, and twists in place to look at Caleb. “Dance with me?”

Caleb blinks, the request taking a moment to process, and once it does, the refusal is at his lips almost before he can stop it.

Almost.

Molly is watching him intently, ears perked up in excitement, and Caleb can’t say no to him when he looks like this.

“ _Ja_ , okay.”

Molly’s face splits into a beaming grin and he stands, grabbing Caleb’s hand, tugging him along until they’re in the crowd of dancing couples. Once there, Molly turns and makes a sweeping bow before taking Caleb by the hand and reeling him in so they’re chest-to-chest, and they start to move. Of all things, the song is a waltz, but not like many Caleb’s danced to before. He’s far more accustomed to the stately waltzes of the capital- measured, graceful, dignified.

This waltz is nothing like those.

There’s a smattering of instruments in the hands of the musicians on-stage- fiddles, what he thinks might be a version of lute, and some others- but they’re played with such life and joy, the musicians almost dancing themselves on stage as they play, that it’s impossible _not_ to move in some way while listening. Molly backs up a step and twirls Caleb in a circle, pulling a surprised laugh out of him before pulling Caleb close again, and it takes a moment for Caleb to realize that Molly is singing along with the vocalist on-stage.

He doesn’t have a great voice, objectively; he’s off-tune, to the point where Caleb can’t tell if he’s sharp or flat, but the joy Molly exudes while he does it wipes all that away.

“ _...walking on moonbeams, I was born with a silver spoon…_ ”

Molly’s eyes are closed, a soft smile on his face as they sway and twirl, the low light from the torches enough to catch and sparkle on Molly’s jewelry, and it strikes Caleb again how beautiful Molly is, and how very much he loves this man.

The song comes to an end, and there’s a round of applause as the musicians set up for their next piece. Molly glances over, smiling, a little short of breath, catching Caleb’s gaze and raising an eyebrow in question. “How was that?”

Tugging Molly close by his coat, Caleb plants a kiss at the corner of Molly’s mouth.

“Perfect.”


	3. Chapter 3

“Why did I think this was a good idea?”

He’s pacing, moving up and down the length of the tent set up for him to get ready in while Beau watches, a bemused tilt to her lips.

“Because you’re a traditionalist sap, Caleb.”

“I am an _idiot_ is what I am.” He comes to a stop, hands twisting together, careful not to pick at the cuffs of his formal robes. “I want to see him, Beauregard.”

Standing up straight from where she’s been leaning against a tent pole, Beau walks over and claps a hand on his shoulder. “I know you do, and you’ll see him soon. Ceremony starts in what, like an hour?”

“An hour and fifteen minutes.”

“Yeah. That’s hardly any time at all, you’ll be fine.”

“But what if he changes his mind?”

She snorts, giving his shoulder a squeeze, her voice laced with fondness. “He’s not going to change his mind. He’s tail over teakettle in love with you, you know that.”

Caleb’s fingers twitch, itching to scrub them through his hair, but stops at the last moment; Veth worked very hard to get the flowers woven in just-so earlier, and he doesn’t want to undo her good work. “ _Ja_ , I know.”

The calm is broken a moment later when the tent flap is yanked to the side and Jester flounces in, a grin on her face. “Oh my gosh, Caleb, you look so _nice_! Molly is going to lose it for sure, you’re _so_ handsome.”

“Thank you?” He can tell he’s flushing, damn his pale skin. “Is he doing alright, Jester? He is well?”

“Well yeah, he’s doing great! He keeps crying and ruining his makeup- he’s a softy like you, Caleb- but he’s good.” She bounces once on her toes, her tail flicking excitedly side-to-side under the ruffles of her dress, and for the first time Caleb notices she has something clasped in her hands, a small ribbon-bound bundle.

“Is that for me, Jester?”

She perks, bouncing again as her grin grows impossibly bigger. “Maaaaaaaaybe.”

He can’t help the small answering smile that tips the corners of his mouth up. “Just a moment, Jester.”

He goes to the satchel he brought with him and digs a moment before pulling out the package he’s had hidden there for weeks. It’s a small box, wrapped in silver-sheened paper with a dusky purple fabric bow on top. He turns and hands the box to Beauregard.

“Beauregard, if you would please see that Molly gets this?”

She takes the box, and with a quick salute heads out of the tent flap to deliver her cargo. When they were organizing the ceremony, Caleb had asked Molly if he’d mind terribly following a hold-over custom from Blumenthal, that the couple not see each other the day of the wedding until it was time for the actual ceremony. Molly had given it barely any thought before kissing Caleb on the cheek and agreeing, saying he thought it was romantic. In exchange, he wanted Caleb to agree to an assisted exchange of gifts beforehand, something just for them amid the swirl of chaos that the day would no doubt become, and, as was usually the case, Caleb was helpless in the face of Molly’s enthusiasm.

He stands back up from his satchel to find Jester’s smile has softened, and her eyes are wet with unshed tears. Before he can ask if she’s okay she walks up to him and presses the little bundle she’s holding into his hands.

“I’m just so happy for you two, you know?” She tugs at his hands until he bends down, and she leans up to kiss his cheek before settling back on her heels. “You love each other so _much_ , and it’s really sweet, and-” She’s sniffling now, and grabs him in a hug tight enough that he worries momentarily for his ribs. “I’m just really glad you found each other.”

Managing to pull an arm free, he pats her back and gives her a squeeze. “I am too, Jester.”

After a few moments she lets him go and wipes her face, her smile blooming again, even if it’s a little wobbly. “I’m going to go back to Molly and let you look at those. See you soon, Caleb!”

She heads back out through the flap, closing it after her, and for the first time all day, Caleb is alone.

He looks down to the small package in his hands, a squarish bundle wrapped in a white cloth and tied with a red ribbon. It gives slightly in his hands as he squeezes it, and, curiosity piqued at what Molly’s come up with, he unties the ribbon and unwraps his present.

Inside is a stack of pages, folded into little square packets of varying sizes. The types of paper are inconsistent, varying from what looks like cheap newsprint to good quality paper. Brow wrinkling, he unfolds the one on top, the one on the nicest paper, with the fewest crinkles, and smiles at the sight of Molly’s spidery scrawl inside, the words painstakingly written.

_Caleb-_

_For when you need them most. All my love, for many years to come- Molly_

He sets the note aside and unfolds the first folded piece of paper on top. It’s wrinkled, the paper almost fabric-soft with how often it’s been scrunched and flattened again, and inside is a little doodle of two figures, and Caleb doesn’t have to guess about who they are. There’s a purple figure with roughly sketched horns and a curlicue with a point on the end for a tail, and next to it a red-headed figure in a brown coat. There’s little hearts that have been drawn in around them, and it’s obvious from looking at it that Molly’s had this sketch for a long time; Caleb hasn’t dressed that ratty in ages, and he recognizes the colorful outfit on the Molly figure as Molly’s original coat as well. The picture isn’t dated, but it’s obviously from earlier in their relationship. What’s more, he knows it’s Molly that’s drawn it. He’s seen enough of Jester’s art to rule her out, but he’s also seen Molly’s cards, carefully drawn, painted, and sealed, all by Molly’s hand. He picks another folded packet from further down the stack and opens it to find the phrase ‘ _I love you_ ’ repeated over and over, shaky at the start but getting more sure the further down the page it goes.

He ends up opening all of them, and each and every one is an expression of Molly’s love and affection, some with mentions of specific events, people, and places, and he can only come to the stunned conclusion that Molly’s been writing these notes for _years_.

Writing isn’t easy for Molly; as far as Caleb knows, it never has been. He looks over the stack of notes, of Molly’s love made tangible, and before he knows it he’s crying. He’s quick to move the papers so they don’t get too wet, and is wiping his eyes when Beau pops her head back into the tent.

“You okay?”

It takes him a moment to get control of his voice. “ _Ja_ , I am okay. How is he?”

She fully enters the tent, keeping a wary eye on him. “Like Jester said. He keeps bursting into tears, but he’s smiling, so it’s probably alright.” She pauses a moment, watching him as he folds the pages back up, wrapping them and retying the ribbon around them to keep them safe, putting them in the satchel for later. “He liked your present, by the way. So good job.”

Huffing a laugh, Caleb takes one more swipe at his eyes before standing to face her. “I’m glad. I thought it would suit him.”

“You going to tell him what it does?”

Caleb nods. “Yes. But not right now. Later, perhaps.”

“Well _obviously_ later.” Beau steps forward, smiling, and fondly jabs him in the ribs with her elbow. “Because right now, it’s time for you to get married.”

The trip from his tent to the alter they’d prepared in the wooded clearing is quick; he’s aware of the short walk, but the whole time his heart and mind are united with one goal: _Molly, Molly, Molly._

Friends of theirs are milling around and chatting, and he never imagined, could have never dared hope that this day would come.

It’s not much longer before everyone is in their places, the talk in the clearing quieting down. Beau, Fjord, and Veth stand a little way to the side but not too far; they’d all agreed to stand with him today, as his family.

Or most of it.

A few seconds later, Toya, whom Molly had been able to track down with Jester’s help, begins to sing, her voice ringing out through the clearing like a glass bell and silencing any residual chatter. With the sound of her voice, his gaze is drawn over to the other side of the clearing, towards where he knows Molly’s tent is located. Coming out of a break in the trees is Jester, happily walking point of the small group heading towards him. Behind her is Yasha and Gustav, and as they part slightly, Caleb gets his first look at Molly.

He’d thought he was prepared for this.

There’s no way he could have been ready.

It’s been a long time coming, and it had started slowly, as such things often do, but he’s known for a long time what his feelings for Molly are. He’s loved Molly almost as long as he can remember, and has always thought Molly beautiful. However beautiful he’s thought Molly to be in the past, though, it doesn’t hold a candle to how Molly looks now.

Molly is _radiant_.

The subject of clothes had come up while planning, and when Caleb had asked, Jester and Molly had looked up from where they were hunched together, whispering conspiratorially.

“ _Don’t worry about it_ ,” Jester had said primly. “ _He will be wearing something occasion-appropriate_.”

And that’s all either of them would say on the subject.

Caleb had run his own clothes by Jester to make sure they wouldn’t clash horribly, and now that he’s seeing Molly in all his splendor, he’s glad the surprise wasn’t ruined.

Molly’s in robes of iridescent blue-gray silk with gold embroidery at the collar and hem. Much like himself, Molly has flowers woven into his hair, and what looks like a translucent veil hanging down his back from some of his horn jewelry. What makes Caleb’s breath catch is that there, hanging at the hollow of Molly’s throat as though it’s always belonged there, is the pendant Caleb had gifted him earlier, the red stone glinting in the light like Molly’s eyes, and the gold hands matching the embroidery on Molly’s robes in a way that makes it look intentional.

The little group gets closer, and Jester moves up towards the front to stand with Caduceus where they’ll lead the ceremony, while Yasha and Gustav move aside to let Molly move forward, coming to stand next to Caleb.

For a moment they look each other over, and Caleb’s gaze pauses on the makeup Jester had mentioned previously- a dusting of luster powder at Molly’s cheekbones and throat, thin lines of gold at his eyelids- before meeting Molly’s gaze. Molly is already looking at him, and his eyes crinkle in a smile that Caleb’s helpless not to mirror.

“Hey.”

“ _Hallo, schatz_.”

It takes a quiet cough from Caduceus to remind Caleb that he and Molly aren’t alone, and he flushes again, wishing- not for the first time today- that his skin wasn’t quite so fair.

“How about we get this thing started?” Caduceus’s voice is a soothing rumble, and Caleb reaches for Molly’s hand, lacing their fingers together as they both turn to face the clerics.

The ceremony itself is something of a blur.

For all his memory is exemplary, he keeps finding it extraordinarily difficult to focus on anything other than Molly- the curve of his lips as he smiles, the sparkle in his eyes, the fondness and love in his expression. Jester and Caduceus have to prompt him to respond a couple of times, which garners laughter from the crowd, but after a point, Caleb realizes he doesn’t care. He’s marrying Molly- nothing else matters.

The ceremony ends with them exchanging rings, and the two clerics sprinkling silver dust over Caleb and Molly’s linked hands. It fizzles in a glinting burst of magic when it hits their skin, sinking in and leaving Caleb with a feeling of glowing warmth and safety.

It’s not that far off from how Molly usually makes him feel.

Jester declares them married, and the crowd cheers, but Caleb only has eyes for Molly, who’s grinning back at him with tears in his eyes. He knows he’s in a similar state, but again, he can’t be bothered to care. He makes a move towards Molly, and Molly is suddenly right there with him, grabbing Caleb by the front of his robes and tugging him in to kiss him soundly.

There are whoops of laughter and the sounds of applause, but Caleb barely hears it over the sound of his own heart beating. He’s easily distracted by the feel of Molly’s hands, now on his face, and the gentle scent of jasmine that hangs around Molly like a miasma. He loses himself in the kiss, drinking Molly in, until they have to pull back to breathe, the both of them grinning unabashedly.

“Hello, _mo chuisle_ ,” Molly murmurs, still close enough that the words buzz pleasantly against Caleb’s lips.

Caleb huffs a laugh, pressing a kiss to the corner of Molly’s smile before he answers, just as softly. “ _Hallo, mein Leben_.”

Molly’s lips quirk up into a wider smile, and Caleb can hardly think of anything more beautiful. He’s about to continue on with something immeasurably sappy when there’s a sharp tug to his sleeve.

“Come _ooooon_.” It’s Jester, a playful pout on her face. “There’s a whole party for you two and everything, but we can’t start without you! You can make smooshy faces at each other later, but for now, it’s time to celebrate!”

“Well,” Molly says, pulling back, and _oh_ how Caleb wants to tug him back closer again. “Let’s not keep everyone waiting.”

There’s a field nearby, a larger meadow scattered with what looks like every color of wildflower, including some varieties that Caleb is reasonably certain shouldn’t be growing in this area. There are large bench tables set up, and he’s got no idea how their friends managed to get them here. Suspended from thin poles sunk into the ground around the perimeter of the tables are strings hung with tiny glass bottles that glow and twinkle with a soft yellowish light; Jester and Caduceus must have been quite busy making them all.

A cheer goes up from the gathered crowd as they enter the field, and he finds himself grinning, helpless to resist the tug of happiness that burbles up from his chest. Molly gives his hand a squeeze where their fingers are still tangled together from the short walk from the marriage alter. He squeezes back, and tears prick at the corner of his eyes again. Again, Caleb thinks this is all so much more than he’s ever expected to have, than he ever thought he could _possibly_ deserve. His heart is full, with love for Molly, of course, but with love for his found family, for his friends, for the great and varied group of people gathered here to celebrate with them.

Molly pulls him from his thoughts with a gentle tug on his hand, and tilts his head in question when Caleb meets his eyes.

“Alright?”

Impossibly, his heart only grows more full as he drinks in the sight of Molly, of his _husband_.

“ _Ja_ ,” he says in wonder. “I am good.”

He pulls their joined hands up to kiss Molly’s knuckles, drawing a smile from the other man, and together they join their friends to celebrate and begin the rest of their lives together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> _mo chuisle_ \- my pulse  
>  _mein Leben_ \- my life
> 
> And with that, Along the Way is effectively finished. There may be further adjacent pieces, but this is the last one I had planned. Thank you all for coming on this ride with me, reading, and commenting and cheering me on. You have no idea how much it's meant to me. I hope you all have enjoyed it even half as much as I have. <3

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this story in mind for awhile, now, and knew that it was where the series would lead. There may be more time-stamp pieces in Along the Way Adjacent, but with this piece, I'm considering the main series complete. I hope you all enjoy, and thank you so much for reading. <3
> 
> Also, the musical theme of this piece as a whole is [Book of Love, as performed by the Magnetic Fields](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkjXr9SrzQE). It's what gave me the idea for this piece to start with.


End file.
